Victory is supported by candor lauch two twenty seven of the free and accepted
water of Masons.
Greetings and welcome to victory here on B.B.C. T.V.
Be informed be involved Hi I'm Tom Frank your victory house and tonight for the
fourth teen time that we've been teaming up yes fourteen years we've been
spotlighting this great parade committee we're very fortunate to have with us here
in Studio A the books County armed forces advisory committee and you know the
amazing thing about this they've been doing this event the Berks County Armed
Forces Day parade for sixty nine consecutive years that's right sixty nine so next
year when we mark the seventieth anniversary of this event it is the longest
consecutive event for this on Forces Day held in the United States and it toll
it's proven otherwise we have to buy your rights right here in perks County so
we're going to meet the guess that we have we have the committee members some of
them are here not all but the hidden heroes are here to show you who's behind the
scenes of making this event very possible I want to remind them viewers who have
tuned in to watch this great victory show that this is
a lie broadcast so you certainly can call in now with any questions or comments
you'll find the number on your screen it's six ten the three seven eight zero four
two six code number anytime during the show we'd be happy to take your questions or
comments the event I'm talking about is May twentieth of this year that's right May
twentieth it's going to start and why missing on Penn Avenue and marched through
West Reading we're going to talk about that event the number of divisions that are
going to be part of it and who's in the divisions but before we go any further
allow me to have the guests introduce themselves to you so let's first of all
please welcome if you will with me Madam Chair Diane Pryce welcome Diane Hello Tom
it's great to be here again and thank you. And yourself of course for hosting us
yes fourteen consecutive years. And we're going to continually do it until we get
to the one hundredth anniversary yes we are and after that as well there will
always be today's veterans to honor on Armed Forces Day for all for sure it is so
Diane tell us about how it all started we know back in one thousand nine hundred
eighty and by the way one of our guest who's going to be introducing them selfish
shortly well in that parade as well in one thousand nine hundred eighty eight and
well under to have them here as well as well as
a guest to discuss this great event but Madam Chair the mission statement behind
this committee the county armed forces advisory committee is tasked to we're going
to ice and present the annual Armed Forces Day parade in Berks County this has been
going on since one thousand nine hundred eighty eight when the city of Reading
celebrated its two hundred anniversary and
a series of parades one of them was for included military and veterans at that time
. We continued that tradition ever since
and. Continue it today this is our sixty ninth annual celebration of today's
military and the veterans in our community excellent Let's go to Roy's second guest
the guest that we were talking earlier about who will win the first parade in one
nine hundred forty eight can't stop United States Navy. Thank you for having me
here tonight
a. Hop and most I was and tenth grade and I felt.
Our out your birth and another fellow by the inside and me went up to the
blackboard and what happened was we had the same question and it was wrong so
that they sided that I wanted to go in the U.S. Navy My dad was in U.S.
Navy World War One twelve years and then soon as that came to my
birthday I went down with my father and he had a sign from me and
a month later I was up at Saints
a New York taking training and when I was in discovery and then what happened was
an officer came to me and he said to me or you can
a stout I said yes he says somebody wants to say not to what now what the heck did
I do and here what happened was instead of being an discovery I was supposed to be
like I maintain
a man for my shift when I was in the Navy there and repairing class and then
Sanat whatever he added Do so that was on the first thing and I did so and then we
were on
a rooster and I went into Geneva and of course you weren't supposed to go to the
reverend station but he said Just got done one of the time he said that's off
limits so we got down there and after that then we went in
a teeny bit more up there on and had
a wonderful time until we went back to the base again then we have to have that
when we came that training was done up as Sampson New York we had.
Liberty to go down home to Reading Pennsylvania so they had to that then I went
back and I had to go up there and then then they said are you home so. Is that when
you walked in the first parade that oh he came home on leave in one thousand forty
eight yeah it's amazing Ken we're so lucky you have such
a broad world of knowledge
a whole volume of it you know Ken is available if you're looking for someone to
speak to students of any grade level to find more about not only World War two But
to find out what the experience was like to go through the U.S.
Navy you'd be happy to talk to the students weren't you yes I used to go to the
schools when you used to be able to go talk to the school kids but you can't go in
there no more not and it's
a shame that you taint see that young the people and just tell him what you did and
everything like Dad and I go to different places and say's different things I got
but it's on
a little menu now but I'm going to the World War two museum up at the airport
at out be my bought for five fifty Eveready that I'm in there signing autographs
for the people and everything and it's nice to talk to them and talk to you and
some even send letters to me that when they will have that you know it's very sure
it's yes that's amazing and so great to have you with us on the show tonight Ken is
also
a volunteer with the committee he handles mostly getting the reviewing stand organize
and set up that will be on Penn Avenue near shutdowns and West ready will cover
more of that parade route later let's meet the other two guests with us tonight and
then we'll come back to our guests and talk more about that only came Celeste your
career in the service as all of our guests have but the parade itself let's in
a dish of seven Tell us about your U.S.
Navy ranks Tom thank you for having me here tonight I remember him with her in the
traditions made second class I put two years in the Navy.
Where they were broken service by. Total of eight players and I am now
currently
a volunteer in two. With the with the Armed Forces
Committee and I'd have known the signs on the cross for the then the
terrorists
a couple of the different dignitaries that were going to have errors it is. My duty
Shway. Krishna and I learned Bach and paying workers they were all helping of
others all sure I look many great politicians we have within our community and were
fortunate to have the support they do give now and only the county but the veterans
themselves let's meet our last guest that's with us tonight and he plays
a key part to because he brings the parade by film still photos to you that you can
check out on Facebook you'll be able to contact the committee we have
a Facebook page and you'll be able to see all the great photos that bill take
Spirit tells about who you are and what branch of service you think you can for
have me here and thank you all men and women veterans for your service. I was in
the U.S.
Marine Corps for four years I was an engineer attached with the auto. I had
a good time all those years I learned a lot of discipline
a lot of things that I have seen. One of the things that I like to do for this
committee and I've been doing it for about four years five years someone at
neighborhood is to shoot pictures of the action that's going on the parade people
that come down through here are very proud veterans and you can see that if you
break it down and look at their eyes and the way they handled themselves when they
get in front of the view stands so usually I like to get
a very good shot of them there and also I would like them to get
a shot of every float and unit that comes down because we have civilian bands that
come that come down there and you know from the high schools and I like to make
sure that everybody is recognized for what they're doing for the veterans it's been
a pleasure Ong all the years that I've been doing the pictures for the parade
committee fabulous and again we thank you as well for your service of giving it to
keep the country that we great live in that the freedom and the world freedom that
you have help with and all the pledges we thank every veteran that's tuned in and
we will honor all of them each and every day this parade is May twentieth it starts
as my Them child will cover it starts at ten A.M.
Starting and why I'm missing near the Vanity Fair outlets it's actually I think
Park Road is where the formation starts but it marches down through into West
Reading where Gore the parade we mainly want to show you is we're going to show you
some previous photos through our last year's parade we have
a contact information we're going to show your graphics through this program where
you can jot down the information right now on how you can getting touch with the
first county on Forces Day advisory committee if you're thinking about entering
a group if you're for
a scout camp scout if you're good scout if your church group if you're
a youth any type of group that you want to display and show. Your freedom the power
of thanking all these veterans please come out and you can certainly legislator
online contact the name for mission that's provided right now on the information in
front of you Madam Chair Diane price would be happy to schedule you and put you in
a division so that we all can come out and mainly do this for our veterans I Berks
County home veterans in particular and for sixty nine years this has been
a pretty good track record of continuing this tradition for many years to come
Madam Chair if you could tell us about this year's parade. Perhaps the information
you want to share of some of the organizations that have committed that Moby coming
out that we've had for many years in the past and more importantly from last year's
previous pictures that Bill has taken such
a great photo guy in showing us the action shots from previous years what I can do
is while I can go through the pictures and then talk about this year's parade
a little bit while I do that. This year's own Forces Day
Parade will be Saturday Saturday at May twenty eighth at starting at ten A.M.
Rain or shine the staging the setting up for the parade will be in the Vanity Fair
parking lot which will soon no longer be the bend of the Fair Park but we starting
there in the eight hundred block of Penn avenue and will go along kind of avenue
into western riding turn right on to South Third Avenue right on to Spruce Street
and West Reading and then left on to South seventh Avenue for the units to end
their. This year's military no service we will take the military services that
we we went to this year will be the Pennsylvania National Guard and for reviewing
officer this year we have Jeff we are Elliot Colonel U.S.
Army retired and he's also Brigadier General Pennsylvania Army National Guard
retired will service are reviewing officer and I prayed Moshe it is Captain
Matthews to drain who is going to represent the three National Guard units here in
Berks County. Which one of the D.
Company one hundred twenty infantry in Hamburg C.
Company one first of the one hundred eleventh Infantry Regiment in Kutztown
and. Second of the one zero Fourth Kav out of the reading on River Road and so
we're really excited to have the Pennsylvania National Guard that's our Home Guard
you know the ones that come out to clear major snow storms in the area and all
around the state when it's needed so it's going to be nice to have our
neighborhoods neighbors be recognized for that. Some of the individuals we we're
going to have all sorts of groups again this year we're going to have groups for
kids we're going to have the right clowns we're going to have the mad the crazy hot
dog vendor it's going to be. With the American Legion Post twelve group
we'll have
a steam train locomotive as well as an antique fire engine so really excited about
that we'll also have the Bucks County all star band all star high school band again
which has musicians outstanding musicians from
a number of different high schools here in Bucks County who will come together and
form one band to participate in this year's parade the. These
musicians are so good that they don't actually even play together until the day of
the parade they all meet together and practice before they have to line up for the
parade and that's when they perform we're really excited about that again so often
our young people. See what out of the blue night most like quote long course of
motorcycle club will also participate in this year's parade and I just found out
today that the twenty seventeen Pennsylvania State noise basketball team will be in
our parade this year so we're excited to have that so hopefully friends and family
will come out and cheer on the right and high school boys basketball team again the
Pennsylvania state champions. We also have many veterans organizations and veterans
from my local nursing facilities and assisted living centers who will participate
in the parade from Spurs manager Mifflin center. I'm not going to remember all of
them I apologize but we do have
a good mix we have veterans organizations the notes our order the poor Purple Heart
will be in this year's parade were our combat wounded veterans. The American which
is what fans network will be
a part of the parade these are men and women who became weapons because their
parents were killed during World War two and works where where honor to have them
recognized as well as Gold Star mother Maria dial so it's really exciting bunched
again this year and we're It's always fun to have. This in this picture here we
have
a good general co-anchor he was our first and only. Female we're doing
officer and now sixty nine years of the Berks County which is
a prairie and for me it was
a personally it was very exciting and she's actually standing there speaking to
this year's reviewing officer who's going to General retired Geoffrey Elliott. I
actually met Colonel General Edgar general Eliot for that year's parade it was one
of the few years that the reviewing officer and I were both in the same bathroom
for one thing our hair because I had how it's got messed up during the parade and
at the luncheon we had to fix our hair but Embassy kind of call. It was really it's
something that I wanted to do for a long time was out with the member of U.N.
Officer so. Yes we do have quite
a mix of organizations again this year and probably go up absence division's again
we will invite We sell invite participants to contact us either on the Facebook
page Burks on Forces Day Parade by email at Burke's Armed Forces Day at yahoo dot
com or you can phone us at six one zero four one three zero zero two zero
and we about as
a cell phone so you can actually just text that number and with contact an e-mail
address so that we can email you the proper forms to send in your way just or. By
the contact information we will get you in the parade up and so when say before the
parade after that we'll make accommodations as possible most likely you'll end up
in the Sixth division so we will exception still be that the fourteenth Now that
would be the seventeenth of May We will still accept. Participant registration
so we are also still looking for business sponsors you're welcome to be
a corporate sponsor three hundred dollars committed to sponsor at one hundred
twenty five dollars or
a patron of twenty five dollars to help support the parade and some nonprofit units
that are involved do require
a payment and we do have expenses even for men just mailing the mailing information
around so be a part of this be
a part of the oldest Armed Forces Day parade in the country in any way you can
participating volunteer and you can also do that you can contact us for that our
next meeting before the parade is next Wednesday May tenth at six P.M.
At the Red Cross. Meeting Room. Right across the tri county chapter is
on center ave me just come on over to the meeting and learn
a little bit about what's going to happen for the parade that ten days later and
we'd love to have you we have
a few duties that need to be done line up line up units do some police call after
the parade which is cleaning up the parking lot of the Y.
Starting shopping center where we're going to be having
a lot of activity and also to make sure the units are in line and spaced out during
the parade route well to set up it lots of different things that we can still use
you for so get in touch with us and be
a part of that for sure absolutely and you know if you want to volunteer for this
great organization this nonprofit group Berks County our forces advisory committee
you do not have to have service connected time this is for service connected people
and non service connected people just to come out to be part of the committee to
help volunteer for this great event if you can only do one day for the whole year
that would be parade day and that day is coming up it's going to be
a May the twentieth and it's going to be held in why missing West Reading still in
books county's been doing it for sixty nine years were prepping because next year's
event the big hype of the seventieth anniversary I think the parade will be bigger
I think to be more divisions but more importantly I believe we're going to need
a lot more great volunteers like yourself so as Madam Chair Diane prices indicated
please get in touch with the committee and account now if you can help in
a small capacity even
a small capacity on parade day your help would be greatly appreciated as you can
see the banner in front of us on the news desk here it's
a very important banner because it's the theme of the parade so we're going to see
we get maybe have
a tighter shot to show you this here the parade it's right where I would covers are
from the U.S.
Navy. I me and Marines this year the poster indicates that we're honoring
all who served this is the banner that is the theme for this year's parade May
twentieth ten A.M.
Start step off why missing Penn avenue into West Reading there will be
a mixture of prior for the veterans to come out to enjoy We want to send out
a special thank you to the reading you impaired career tech center for hosting that
and always supporting all the veterans as they do each and every year. As
a member of this committee I can tell you personally how I've gained such great
value of understanding truly the meaning of giving back to the community and this
organization does that and they still are event they truly do give back and we want
to thank all the hidden heroes that have been here before us who have kept this
tradition going for the sixty ninth consecutive Berks County Armed Forces Day
Parade Let's go back if we could to Diane price she's going to tell you some more
a little bit about the segues of how the parade is going to be formed out when we
start we also have the national anthem being played that will be played of course
at the reviewing stand the reviewing stand is located in West Riding off of Penn
Avenue right near where chef Allan is located in that section of happen though we
also wanted to point out and thank
a shout out to mastery Gunnery Sergeant Rhonda Raul United States Marine Corps Ron
has been co-hosting this event along with me for many years we've been teaming up
probably for the fourteen years we've been featuring this committee on B.B.C. T.V.
Mastery gun are going to run to well it has been
a great advocate of this event he's been shared this event for many years and he's
probably been involved in this committee for over thirty two years in volunteer ing
his talents and his knowledge of really what it's all about and making sure we
really pay honor to those who have served Madam Chair Let's wrap what we've got
left of the time here on victory on P.C. T.V.
I wept the home viewer that is going to be coming up for the event what they can
expect we're going to have a lot of bands we're going to have
a lot of veterans organizations some family things and we're really looking forward
to seeing you there your smiling faces waving flags and cheering on today's
military and the veterans that are going to be in the parade. Rast we just want to
thank our major sponsors which is the county parks why missing and why stranding by
us. Be teaching management company which has to be asked to be fair now
back to
a real team from that is the West Riding shopping center and the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation because we do have to shut down an avenue in order to
do this and so thank you to the those communities and our other supporters look for
our half page ad the day before the parade in the reading ECO and come on out
Saturday May twentieth for the Armed Forces Day Parade and don't worry if you
haven't had
a chance to see the show live tonight we're here but more importantly tell your
friends and family members they can always go to Debbie W W dot B.C. T.V.
Dot org within the website of the B.C. T.V.
You can look up through the search window the victory show featuring the book's
County on Forces Day parade and they can certainly see the whole show right from
the conference of their tablet their laptop or workstation anywhere in the world so
please get the word out to preview the show but more importantly come out and see
this of that this is
a rain and shine of that mostly shine because in the sixty nine years I think on
the record I think maybe a less than
a handful less than four have maybe rain we could probably less that the Ken
because he's been around from the very first parade but I do know. A little bit of
rain but it didn't dampen our spirits I do know and feel this year will be full of
sunshine will not Madam Chair Yes or definitely So about all means bring your
cameras bring your children bring the families let them see all those who have
served to keep our country free because of the home of the brave we thank our
veterans thank you for your service and will be spotlighting you all may twentieth
come out and see the parade and why missing West Reading I'm Tom Frank for the
victory host here which in you were
a great victory day. It's
supported by. Twenty seven of the free and accepted Masons.